MAN OF FIRE
You entered the
inferno with a shield,
A tradition of
sacrifice; a heritage without yield.
And with every
step you cautiously searched,
Giving mind to dangers
when rafters lurched.
From cobalt blue
to pale yellow, flames singed your bristled hair,
And poured sweaty
showers on your salty, scarred skin;
A fog without air
engulfed your head, though you did not care;
For a powerful
magnet, a weakened victim, pulled you in.
A force too strong
to run for flight,
Your courage lit
the way when day for night;
Then with your
exit from that fiery stage,
Your arms held a
bundle, another life, another page.
The story
continued with many deeds: resuscitating a woman who hardly breathed;
Climbing heights to
carry a man on your shoulder you heaved,
Or grabbing a housecat
nestled in a corner that put up a fight;
You proudly wore
that warrior’s uniform, grey with yellow stripes.
After thirty
years, your daily battles finished;
Some memories have
gone, others remain undiminished,
You have continued
to strive to become a better man,
But to my heart you
are one among many, the best in the land.
Dedicated to
retired firefighters everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment